Rodeo Hats, Road Trips, And Hybrids? Yee Haw!

Rodeo hats on, sleeves rolled up, and the garage door wide open—this one blends street-level car culture with the blunt truth about where the auto industry stands. We lay out why major automakers posted eye-popping EV write-downs and what that means for real buyers who just want reliability, value, and a car that fits their life. The takeaway is simple but powerful: the future isn’t either-or. Hybrids, EVs, and tried-and-true ICE models will share the road, and smart shoppers can use that variety to their advantage.

We map the season ahead—from the Team Gillman Mega Meet to Tailpipes and Tacos—and share a practical spring prep checklist you can tackle this weekend. Wash and decontaminate the paint, refresh trim, and give that K&N filter a proper clean and dry before a light re-oil to keep sensors happy. We also flag a surprising road-trip stat: a 648-mile stretch with no public restrooms. Planning matters, whether you’re managing bathroom breaks, plotting charging stops, or just making sure the kids don’t hit meltdown mile. Good prep turns long hauls into easy wins.

Our test drive of the 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid XSE shows why sensible can still feel special. The two-tone look is sharp, the cabin is simple to live with, and the fuel economy makes daily driving painless. AWD and a refined ride help in bad weather, while pricing stays competitive against the Kia Niro and Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid. Cargo with the rear seats up is tight and the CVT won’t thrill, but the balance of comfort, efficiency, and price lands in the sweet spot for commuters and small families.

We wrap with quick hits from the racing world, including the Andretti-linked Cadillac chassis naming, and a clear-eyed view of how policy and pricing shape demand. If you care about real ownership costs, weekend shows, and the next car that earns your driveway, you’ll find the signal here without the noise. Subscribe, share with a friend who’s car-curious, and drop a review telling us what you’re driving to your next cruise-in.

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Transcript

Rodeo Morning And Host Banter

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to another In Wheel Time podcast. Welcome to the In Wheel Time Car Talk Show. Just ahead, Jeff has his motor minute. I'll review the new 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross. And we hope to have a Mr. Guest joining us. A pleasant rodeo good morning to you. Along with Mike out of this world, Mars. Yippie I O Dun. And uh Mr. Jeffrey, we always need more, Jeff Zeken. And uh David Ainsley, the chief engineer and bottle washer from Don Armstrong, thank you to join us today. Beautiful day here in Houston, Texas, not so much in Tehran. Yeah. Because apparently we're bombing Tehran at the moment. Yeah. And um now you've had the latest news. That's it. As if you didn't know, you may be living under a rock somewhere, but uh that seems to be the big news of the day, along with the fact that the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Parade is just now kicking off. Yep. It's kicked off behind us, right here.

SPEAKER_02 0:58

Yeah, behind Mike too. Yeah, great.

SPEAKER_01 1:00

We took a still still photograph uh earlier yesterday uh when we were down at Memorial Park for the gathering before the parade today. And so that's what you're seeing behind that's what you're seeing behind us. Yeah, we got a stallions. Yeah, Mike's gallons. Just like me and Jeff.

SPEAKER_02 1:17

And I'm you know, I might I might throw somebody in the who's gowl.

SPEAKER_03 1:22

Well, Sheriff Jeff. There you go. By golly, you got your bullet in your pocket, sir. In your pocket. I went to school with Barney. Barney. Learned all the ropes, so to speak.

SPEAKER_01 1:32

Oh, speaking, yeah, ropes. And we it's good for time. If you're if you're just listening and not watching, I pulled out my rodeo hat that I bought, I don't know, 50 years ago at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. But that's not where this started. From Bailey's of Fort Worth. That's and I bought it at the rodeo.

SPEAKER_02 1:47

I got mine from my dad, but this all started over two margaritas last night at dinner. It's time to break down our rodeo hat. Oh, yeah, let's do that. Let's do that. So I'm texting Mike at like nine o'clock at night.

SPEAKER_01 1:59

You know, I wonder if they have uh a little car display as it rolling down the rodeo parade today. Yeah, they're probably not.

SPEAKER_02 2:05

Well, you don't think so? No like Queens. No, those are in the back of the wagons.

SPEAKER_01 2:09

Yeah, that's it. You know, uh the the celebrities uh sitting uh on the teetops of the 1977 Corvette that's got you know fenders hanging off.

SPEAKER_02 2:18

Transition or something like that, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:21

427 Chevy and Power. Um so uh anyway, there's the setup for today's show. It's a two-hour show. We're both in the remote studios here in the Houston, Texas area, and then we go far east. We're gonna not quite that far east, but far, far east. And uh and what was I dream of genie's master? Not not Tony Nelson, but uh the guy that was in Saudi Arabia or wherever he was. I have no idea.

SPEAKER_04 2:52

I don't I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 2:52

Something Habib or whatever.

SPEAKER_04 2:54

Anyway, I I never got into it quite that far.

SPEAKER_03 2:57

Well, I am. I I got into it. Obviously, yeah. I think his chaps are too tight. I'm not wearing anything.

SPEAKER_01 3:06

Uh-huh. Boy, they're cut out in the back. Sure, they are. Yeah, no doubt. Um, anyway, so we're waiting for our first guest, and Mr. Mars, I guess that you'll be the first one to tell us that our first guest has arrived.

SPEAKER_04 3:20

Yeah, I gotta do a little hunting, so I'm gonna step offside here for a second.

SPEAKER_01 3:24

All right, yeah, give them a call and uh give us some butt chewing.

SPEAKER_03 3:27

There you go. There you go.

SPEAKER_01 3:28

So that that's you. Why are we looking at you?

SPEAKER_03 3:30

I guess we'll do it. We don't want to look at you.

Local Parade, Hats, And Studio Setup

SPEAKER_01 3:32

There you go. There you go. Thank you very much. Um okay, so I have some standby stuff here that I wanted to tell you about. Alrighty. Two weeks. That is two weeks. The 14th? Yeah, the 14th. We're going to go to the Mega Meet 2K26. Okay, too long. But uh 2K26, the Mega Meet uh at Team Gilman. Yep. And that's going to be one of the Gilman dealerships. I believe it's the Subaru dealership that's up on uh up in the spring area 45, the North Freeway, as you're headed to Dallas. 18202 is going to be the address. And uh we're going to do a live or remote broadcast from there. Uh from what, 10 to 1? I think it's 10 to 1.

SPEAKER_02 4:19

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 4:19

And so we're a three-hour bonus hour next uh in the next two weeks. Yep, the I. Oh. So one more week in the studio, and then we have another uh uh event right after that. Back to back. Yeah, and I think that's going to be the tail types and tacos. So anyway, and you'll hear them in the promos that you'll be hearing on the show today. And so be sure and write that down. Come along with us. Yeah, it's gonna be a fun trip, Padma.

SPEAKER_02 4:46

We'll we'll put you in her posse.

SPEAKER_01 4:49

Head on out.

SPEAKER_03 4:51

We'll put you in her posse.

SPEAKER_01 4:54

You know, that teeter's on the edge for me, and I'm not even gonna go there. Okay. So that's not going to work. I did um I did bring along uh some interesting stuff this week. Um, and um I I really don't want to do it just quite yet because I've got it scheduled for later in the hour.

SPEAKER_02 5:13

I've got something real quick for you. Yes, please do going through that. Uh we've got Formula One start in a couple weeks, and we're gonna talk about that in the racing calendar. But uh the Cadillac and Mario Andretti and all that team going for Formula One, uh, they've actually named the first chassis after Mario Andretti. It's it's a Mac 26, it's MAC-26 chassis. It's the first one off the line. Uh they're gonna use it wouldn't there be Ma? No, it's MAC. Well, I know I thought about that too. Well, I guess it's a whatever he goes by is called Mac. Something Mac that he's been going by for all his life. So Mattress Mac. Okay. Sponsored by Mattress. Mattress Mac, the Cadillac chassis. No, but uh he's very honored for that. So you got the Ferrari engine, you got a Cadillac uh chassis or you know, chassis. Put the livery together and they named it after Mario. Well, that's great.

SPEAKER_01 6:06

Yeah, that's pretty cool. I think he bought his bought his way into the Ferrari.

SPEAKER_02 6:10

Well, you know, he's been around since you know the sixties w winning open wheel. In fact, open wheel we'll talk about all that during racing, but uh it's all firing up.

SPEAKER_01 6:19

It's all getting stirred into the cruise in and car show season.

SPEAKER_03 6:26

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 6:27

And um, you know, one of the things that um I pride myself in is the fact that all winter long, so to speak, in Houston, if whatever that is, you get your car ready for the car show, the spring car show. Now for me, the spring car show has traditionally been in the past five years, the Hot Rod Tour of Texas, which happens in April. Right. But it's a little bit later than most of the other shows, uh, cruise ins uh in particular. And um I think that uh the car show season is going to be well underway by the time the hot rod tour starts. So one of the things that we all try to do is get our car ready for whatever, whether we're gonna show it in a parking lot or we're gonna take it on the hot rod tour of Texas. And the very first thing you always look at is the finish on the car and you go, Yeah, first of all, we need to wash it. Right. Mine has not been washed since last August. I've got a garage for it now. I don't I don't have to, you know, get out there and scrub it up all the time.

SPEAKER_02 7:30

So and it's not a daily driver, so you really put that in the back of your mind.

SPEAKER_01 7:34

Yeah, you know, but it's time it's time for a wash, John. Break it out. Yeah. And the other thing is that I need to do is I need to clean the KN air filter, which has been a couple of years. But you have to understand, I don't even drive 2,000 miles a year in that car. So it it isn't as red as it normally would be with a freshly rejuvenated KN filter. But uh I need to do that. Um and you know, some detailing really need to get into that.

SPEAKER_02 8:02

So there's a process to that, don't you have to oil it or wash it or clean it up. Yeah, it's a process to that.

Upcoming Events And Remote Broadcasts

SPEAKER_01 8:07

Yeah, you've got some cleaning stuff that you put in there. Yeah, some solution, and then you uh get out there with the hose and you wash it out from the inside out. Oh so you squirt it from the inside of the filter out. And uh then you got to let it dry. Takes a couple days for that too. Oh wow. Well, in your case it's okay. You could a week for you. Correct. And uh then you uh juice it up with the red KN filter juice, which is a l oil, is basically what it is. Like a like a petroleum jolly type. I think so. I don't know. Yeah, I don't know, I don't know the actual contents of it, but that's what you put in there. And of course I always put too much, and then it winds up dripping all over the place. So hang it out underneath the tree and let it drip away until it's done dripping, and then you stick it back in the car. And for me, it has the KN filter box, if you want to call it that, hookup connection, which is air intake, married to the original um metered intake on the manifold. And you know, you got a map sensing unit on that. Yeah, and and none of that stuff really ever matches up exactly. So you gotta fiddle with it and fiddle with it, and it's kind of frustrating, but I'll eventually get it back in there. I'm busy that day. That's one of those things. That's one of those things that I've I've is on the list to do, along with lots of other things that are on the list. Gardening, etc. Oh yeah. Um so those are the things that uh I have to do to the Corvette to get it ready. And I'm wondering, hmm, Team Gilman, should I take the Corvette up there? I don't know. Because if I do, will I have enough room? Because I need to do I need I don't need to take any chairs, but I I think I need to take some stuff. We'll figure something out with that.

SPEAKER_02 9:52

We'll figure it out, yeah. Because I'm you know, P B will uh we'll hop in the hot rod view it.

SPEAKER_01 9:57

Well we've got yeah, well, we've got back-to-back uh remote, so uh you know, even if Mars has to throw it in the back of the in-wheel time truck, the mighty machine that he's machine, yeah. Uh then he may have to and bring it to the next remote. But whatever the case. So um there are things to do. Times are are whittling down there to get it ready.

SPEAKER_02 10:18

And you're right, there's gonna be a lot of oh, there they're not going to be. There are a lot of the cruisings and car shows. We'll talk about that as well. But they are getting started at any given time. There's one popping up. You can get on several of the sites. Uh uh Carcruisers.com is the one I kind of favor because they're more local for us. And the way we do this is we find local things because we're kind of a local show for everyone there. But then we go across country and around the world, other people in other parts of the states have their own little gigs going on. So uh we try to include everybody, but they're out there in your area. Go check them out and uh you'll enjoy it.

SPEAKER_01 10:51

So March the 14th, Team Gilman Mega Meet. Yep. Um, and the Mars has Acura Dealer, North 45. Maybe that's what it is.

SPEAKER_02 10:59

Well, if to interrupt you, that area that's that's dealership row.

SPEAKER_01 11:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:03

So you're gonna find all makes it.

SPEAKER_01 11:04

So up there in spring.

SPEAKER_02 11:05

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:06

Um, then the following weekend on March the 21st is tailpipes and tacos in Beaumont. Beaumont. We're going to Beaumont. We're going to Beaumont. We're going over there to Mars. Do I need a passport?

SPEAKER_02 11:16

I think it better be. Well, you need to get your shots, that's for sure. You know, when I was just at the doctor, they asked me if I had my shots. Are you going to Beaumont? No, you'll I forget.

SPEAKER_01 11:24

Okay, well, you need to come back then and get shots for Beaumont. Uh, and that's going to be an 8 to 11 broadcast, followed by on April the 4th, that would be Easter weekend. Easter Saturday, yeah. Tailpipes and Tacos, Loopy Tortilla. King 8 to 11. It's the Easter show. The Easter bunny's going to be there. And also all the kids are invited. They're going to have kid cars and all the kid cars. Those are fun to watch. Yeah. All the excitement. Uh, and then on June the 13th, I think we're scheduled to go to the Lone Star Street Rod Association again up in Granbury, Texas. Yeah. If you don't know where that is, it's about 45 minutes to an hour south of Fort Worth. So it's a little bit of a haul. And um, that's going to be on June the 13th. Right. Followed by in October, we've already got this booked out, uh, the spring branch show. We think that we're going to go to that. That's on October the 11th. That's always fun to do. This will be our third one, won't it? Yes. It'll be our third one. Yep.

unknown 12:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 12:19

She's already told us she wants us to come back. So we just got to get it nailed down.

SPEAKER_01 12:23

Well, I'm just going by by your uh notes here that you passed along to me. And it says October 11th with a question mark. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 12:30

Yeah, she wasn't sure about 11th or the 18th.

SPEAKER_01 12:33

Now the Team Gilman thing, you've got here Acura, the Acura dealership at Team Gilman. Is that where we're going to go?

SPEAKER_04 12:39

Yes, it's actually at the Acura dealership, but the Subaru and the Mazda dealer that are apparently adjacent are all going to bring it all together at the one dealer. I got you.

SPEAKER_01 12:48

All right.

SPEAKER_04 12:48

Oh, very good.

SPEAKER_01 12:50

So um have you had any luck with our guest?

SPEAKER_04 12:53

No, sir.

SPEAKER_01 12:54

Okay. Well, um, we've got a little bit of time here, and I could do our story of the week. I have other things I can do for uh us while we wait to see if this person is going to call.

SPEAKER_04 13:07

Did you see my note about the uh car review?

SPEAKER_01 13:10

What about it? He's got another car review.

SPEAKER_04 13:17

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 13:17

Yes. So Mr. Morris is going to have two car reviews this week.

SPEAKER_04 13:21

No, I'm only gonna have one.

SPEAKER_01 13:23

Oh. Oh, but there's two scheduled.

SPEAKER_03 13:26

You're only gonna have one, but I've got one, so there's two.

SPEAKER_04 13:29

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 13:30

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 13:30

Oh, I thought you had two, Mike, and Don's got one.

SPEAKER_04 13:32

Oh, that's kind of what I thought.

SPEAKER_02 13:33

Who's on first?

SPEAKER_01 13:34

Uh yeah, nobody. They're all on second. Um yeah. Okay. Let me see here. What I wanted to do is I wanted to do our story of the week. And um I have it, but it's down in the stack of papers that I have here. God, this sounds like we don't have any clue what we're doing. Well, we really don't. We actually don't have any clue what we're doing. Do we, Mars?

SPEAKER_04 14:03

If we had a clue, we might know what we were doing.

SPEAKER_01 14:05

Yeah, well, we don't. Okay, so here's the story of the week. And this is open discussion throughout the show. Uh, and it's about electrics. And um, you know, it's all the talk because the automobile industry is losing its tail on what they have spent on vehicles that aren't selling. Yes, sir. Automakers are unwinding their electric vehicle bets. This is a story from automotive news at a cost approaching fifty, five, zero billion dollars, a stark measure of how much the industry misjudged what buyers would embrace and how fast. Write downs of investments in EV factory capacity, vehicle programs, and battery manufacturing have stained the balance sheets of General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Stillantis, and Honda Motor Company in recent months. The charges range from an expected$1.9 billion by the end of March for Honda to roughly, I hope you're sitting down,$26 billion for Stillantis, which didn't specify how much of what it called a reset of its business was EV related. You know, they canceled the two most popular selling vehicles for Challenger and the Charger.

SPEAKER_02 15:18

$27 billion, you said.

Spring Car Show Prep And Detailing

SPEAKER_01 15:20

$27 billion. What is the company worth? Well, I don't know, but I've got continuing information for it. The massive price tag is a product of how aggressively automakers focus their capital investments on EVs, according to E. Tay McKay, an equity auto analyst at T.D. Cowan. Yet the charges don't necessarily reflect a complete about face on EVs, he said, because regulations could change again under future presidential administrations, and EV sales are expected to become a larger portion of the market long term. We just don't see it. Automakers still plan to channel some profits from their gasoline vehicles into EV and battery development and continue pushing for lower costs. The charges follow years of dotting up EV development. To keep up with increasingly stringent zero emission regulations in the U.S. and Europe, automakers also had to respond to competitive pressures from Tesla and startup EV manufacturers, Rivian and Lucid Motors, as well as the potential threat posed by up-and-coming Chinese automakers. Mainstream U.S. buyers have proved reluctant to switch from combustion vehicles, citing higher purchase prices and concerns about battery range and charging speeds. President Trump also moved quickly in his second term to relax federal regulations, ending penalties for noncompliance with fuel economy standards, and scuttling that$7,500 federal tax credit that helped offset high EV sticker prices that you and I ultimately paid for through our income tax. The result, EV sales are slowing, and automakers are reassessing how much production capacity they need, converting some factory space back to combustion vehicles, and canceling entire programs. U.S. buyers registered 1.3 million EVs in 25 for a 7.8% share of the new light vehicle market, down slightly from 8% in 24, according to SP Global Mobility data. GM disclosed more than$7 billion in EV-related charges for 2025. Ford's EV pivot will cost them about$20.9 billion, slightly higher than it originally projected, though it took the bulk of the charges in late 2025. Stillantis previewed$26 billion in charges February 6th, ahead of releasing its full 2025 financial results later this month. The charges include$17.5 billion for canceled vehicle programs and platform impairments, and$2.5 billion for reworking its EV supply chain. Company also said it will end a battery joint venture in Canada with South Korean partner LG Energy Solution. Legacy automakers found Tesla's transaction prices and margins to be inviably, but to be in to be adequate. Let me put it that way. Yeah, but ultimately unrealistic for themselves. Honda also realized its EV strategy didn't much consumer demand, didn't match consumer demand. Japanese automaker on February 10th said its EV write-offs tallied$1.7 billion. That's write-offs. Yep. In the nine months into December 31st and likely will grow by the end of its fiscal year in March. Honda said it's negotiating compensation for GM as it winds down the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX EV programs they co-developed. It is a big, gigantic mess, and it's going to get worse as the time goes by because not all of them have reported everything because they don't have to do that anymore. A lot of them have chosen not to issue quarterly profit pictures. So where is the bottom? Where is the bottom?

SPEAKER_03 18:57

I don't know. We don't know. Of course.

SPEAKER_04 18:58

Well, the problem is that they they the OEMs have gotten so burnt because of the uh the green wave and and the federal regulations that forced them into this mess. So now they're trying to figure out how to bail out of it, but they don't want to bail out too far in case the next administration shoves them right back into it.

SPEAKER_01 19:16

Well, as I've said all along, I think that it ultimately is going to be a mix of EVs and ICE engines and hybrids and all of that. It's just another another layer for automakers and dealers ultimately to have a wide range of vehicles for the public to buy. I don't think EVs will go away. I think that they will continually improve and the prices will come down. As a matter of fact, I do know for a fact that uh car manufacturers are working diligently to get the prices of EVs around 30 grand. Well, that's a far cry from these$60,000,$70,000 EVs that we're all used to. What's the average price of a car?$50.$50,000 for the average price of a car.

SPEAKER_04 19:56

So well, it it is a segment of the market. I mean, there are sales there to be made, so that's that's their business. That's what they're in for. But but you know, you can't you can't force the market. You know, but I mean, this just reinforces the whole idea that you can't come in and regulate what people are going to buy.

K&N Filter How-To And Garage Talk

SPEAKER_01 20:13

Amen. Yep. Yeah. Ask Edsel, he'll tell you. Exactly. All right. Uh just ahead, we got uh Jeff's motor minute and a review of the new Toyota Corolla Cross when the in-wheel time car talk show continues right after this quick break. Stay with us. The tailpipes and tacos renowned cruisium expands to Bullmannt. Golden Triangle Cruisers will want to experience tailpipes and telcos at the Loopy Tortilla, Height in the South in Bullman, near Washington, Boulevard. Grab free Loopy Breakfast tacos with any donation to Shirley's kids. Enjoy a coffee or an adult beverage. Every cruise in vehicle is automatically aided to win one of the beautiful chili pepper trophies for Best Hot Run, Classic and Modern Classic. Tailpipes and Telicos Bowman happens Saturday morning, March 21st, 8 to 11am. If you're a car cake like we are, this is the event you'll want to attend. The end of the time cover talk show will be online live, and you may be interviewed in public. Talepipes and Tacos Bowman edition Saturday, March 21st, 8 to 11am, at the Loopy Tortilla 2050 I Tim South in Baumont. The Katie Tailpipes and Tacos happens Easter Saturday, April 4th, 8-11. The free Tailpipes and Tacos Cruising is a production of Loopy Tortilla Tex-Mex Beaumont and Katie. He's pretty good. Apple or Android InWheel Time podcasts can be found everywhere, on the stream and through downloads. Whether you're on the road or at home and Jones in for a different kind of car talk show, give InWheel Time a try. Honest new car reviews, fun, informative interviews with real car people, weekly automotive news, features like Jeff's car culture and Mike's driving destinations, all on In Wheel Time. Check us out on Sirius XM Podcasts, iHeartRadio, or while you're shopping on Amazon through Amazon Music. Mm-hmm. InWheelTime.com has a list, and we know you love lists. Live in Wheel Time Car Talk Show every Saturday, 10 to noon Central Time on Inwheel Time.com, YouTube, and Facebook. Check us out. It's free. And don't forget 30-minute podcasts of our shows can be had from your favorite podcast store. Okay, time now for Jeff's Motor Minute. Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_02 22:16

This is a six hundred and forty-eight-mile route. It's the longest road trip in the U.S. with no restrooms, and it takes over ten hours to go down. Oh God. So if you're a road trip-trip-trip-tribe. If you're well, there's we were about to tell you. If you're a road trip junkie, your eyes turn yellow in all kinds of colors. If they're not that already, it might be brown. Uh you probably understand the significance of the all-important rest stop that it feels like you're driving a stretch of road without a single one in sight. They examined the geographic or the geospace data and unearthed the absolute worst trek for bathroom brakes. Now, this is uh there there's several around the country and there's several around the world, but an example of a public restroom would be a fuel stop, service area, rest station, fast food restaurant, or an attraction. After combing through all the data, it found that there's a 648-mile stretch between Belfield, North Dakota, and Mitchell, South Dakota. It's the longest route in the U.S. without a potty break. Traveling on this route, which runs along the Theodore Roosevelt Expressway with an average speed of 62 miles per hour, takes you 10.7 hours to get around it.

SPEAKER_03 23:21

What do people just pull off the side of the road to get the port of potty hours?

SPEAKER_02 23:25

I'll kick one with you. The study also touched on conditions that many drivers suffer from toilet anxiety. It is actually a medical condition that makes the long road trips unbearable. It affects about one in three, which 31%. Symptoms include not just worrying about whether the next restroom is, but also extreme concern about cleanliness of the toilets. For example, restroom anxiety is a very real barrier going on a long journey, especially in a car. Urinating along the roadside is illegal in all 50 states and often threatened to disorderly conduct nuisance, which carries a fine from anywhere between 50 and 500. Some states might even classify it as an act of indecent exposure. And then you got to register as some kind of an offender, uh toilet offender or something. Coming in second place is a survey of this survey was a 513-mile journey between Fall River, South Dakota and Cairo, Nebraska. A road trip in Kansas between Scott City and Belleville. Nab the third place spot of 324 miles. It should come as no surprise that uh all of these, there's about 10 of them uh without rest stops. So it's through the entire U.S., mainly in the West. So be careful out there and make sure you got it. Well, people are doing something. They're doing something. They're probably stopping the car. You see, you know, little kid on the side of the road pooping. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 24:42

Yeah, man. If you were in an EV and you had range anxiety on top of bathroom anxiety, you'd just be in big trouble. That would be the pucker factor.

Event Calendar: Mega Meets To Easter Shows

SPEAKER_01 24:51

Yeah, that's exactly right. All right, time down for this hour's car review. Had a chance to drive the 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross, built in Huntsville, Alabama. Comes in three trim levels: the S, the SE, and the XSE. The reviewed trim level is the HV, which is a hybrid XSE, top of the line. Small or subcompact SUV is what it uh categorizes as. Uh seats, uh, five of them, including the driver. Exterior changes from last model year. It was all new in 2022. Uh exterior, new body colored grill is unique to this brand. Reminds of some of the Lexus products. Side body sculpting is subtle, but adds some differentiation there, makes it unique. Hatch and tail lights look like all the rest. Two-tone paint, uh, black roof panel, looks great. What I liked about it, the overall look, it's high marks. Um and I'm not sure about roof rails these days. Does anybody use those things anymore? No. It's not a really a looks huh? They're just for looks. I guess. Well, just leave the rails up there, but forget the cross hatches. Uh, what could use improvement? Not sure on the outside. Inside, the dash is simple and mostly easy to use. The trip display has to drill down into several menus to find that. Uh, changeable instrument cluster is nice. Radio has push button volume controls, which I had a hard time trying to find. Okay, where do you turn the radio up? Well, it's at the bottom of the screen. It says increase or decrease the volume. Seating is comfortable with unique Louvering. That's not right. With unique coverings. Well, I like Louvering. It's kind of it's kind of like what you buy at Walmart, you know, those web chairs, and they got them all stocked up and ready for summer. Louis. Louvering. Uh cargo room, small, uh, especially with the rear seat up. What I liked about it, the size, shape, and comfort. What could use improvement? I don't know. Two-liter engine, 196 horsepower, doesn't sound like a lot. 151 pound feet of torque, but it does have a CVT transmission in it, and it is all-wheel drive, so that there's that. Uh, so the CVT is gonna make up for uh an under-horsepowered car. City, 46 miles per gallon in the city, 39 for the highway is what it's rated for a combined of 42. I got 39.1 miles per gallon over 430 miles. What I liked about it, mileage. Hello. What could use improvement? You got the mileage. What more do you want? Not a lot of grunt, but that's what this is all about. What I liked about it, nice, comfortable car. Uh, what could use improvement? I say here, don't touch it. Base trim price,$33,030. Wow. That's base trim. Yeah. Prices tested$37,449, and it was top of the line all the way. Base model price,$29,395. So they managed to squeeze it in under the$30,000 mark. Competitors, the Kia Nero, the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid, and the Toyota Rav 4 hybrid, which is the most expensive in the comparisons. Next week I'll review the Mazda 3 Sedan. Yes, they still do. All right. Hey, if you'd like to get in touch with us, send us an email. The address is info at nwheeltime.com. We are back after this quick break. The Easter Bunny's coming. To the tailpipes and tacos cruise in at the Loopy Tortilla Tex-Max in Katy, April 4th, 8 to 11 a.m. And you're invited to. Bring the kids and grandkids. It's a cruise in like you've never attended before. With a donation to Shirley's Kids, you'll get a free Loopy Tortilla breakfast taco. There'll be coffee and adult beverages, plus chili pepper trophies for the best hot rod, best modern classic, and the Easter bunnies coming. To the Tailpipes and Tacos cruise in at the Loopy Tortilla Tex Max in Katy, April 4th, 8 to 11 a.m., and you're invited too. Bring the kids and grandkids. It's a cruise-in like you've never attended before. With a donation to Shirley's Kids, you'll get a free Loopy Tortilla breakfast taco. There'll be coffee and adult beverages, plus chili pepper trophies for the best hot rod, best modern classic, and best classic. There's no entry fee and no registration. Just bring your ride and the kids. Bad bunnies aren't allowed, but the Easter bunny will be there, and he'll be full of joy to help make this Tail Pipes and Tacos a very special one. Photo opportunities abound. The En-Rail Time Car Talk Show will be streaming around the globe, and you can be selected to tell your car story to a global audience. It's the Tailpipes and Tacos Cruise in Easter edition, Saturday, April 4th, 8-11am at the Loopy Tortilla Tex-Mex in Katy, located on 99 the Grand Parkway, just south of I-10, the Cady Freeway, in Katy. Make plans now. Loopy Tortilla is pretty good.

SPEAKER_00 30:01

We're collaborating with the Palmade Little World. So your number's gonna be crazy. And that's not the number. We're gonna be wrestling up six comments to be sold in a dozen numbers each. See below for more details. You're not gonna wanna miss this use in March 14th. We can't wait to see you here.

SPEAKER_01 30:22

That's it for this podcast episode of the In Wheel Time Car Show. I'm Don Armstrong, inviting you to join us for our live show every Saturday morning on Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and our InWheeltime.com website. Podcasts are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeart Podcast, Podcast Addict, TuneIn, Pandora, and Amazon Music. Keep listening, and we'll see you soon.